Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category

I am currently taking a course at UCE called “On the Path.” The course is basically an exploration of spirituality. First of all, what is spirituality and, secondly, an examination and exploration of our personal spirituality.

Last night was the first night and there were definitely some interesting experiences. I had planned to write about the experience I had during the guided meditation that we went through, but I think I’m still trying to unpack it a bit. I’ll likely write about it in a day or two, after I’ve had some more time to think about it.

For now, I’ll just share the working definition of “spirituality” that I came up with during last night’s session:

Spirituality is that moment of letting go. That moment when it seems like the pen and ink are the ones doing the writing; when the keyboard tells my fingers where to go.

Spirituality is that moment of wakeful unconsciousness, when the intellect becomes secondary—it doesn’t leave or become unimportant, it just moves to the background and lets that unconscious “something” lead the way for a moment.

Obviously, the bits about writing should be taken as a metaphor for that “in the moment-ness.” For that “letting go.” For that moment of Zen. I used the example of writing because that is when I tend to feel that experience the most. It will, obviously, happen at different moments for different people.

Although I haven’t written anything here in quite a while, I have been thinking a great deal about faith and spirituality. I’ve been reading a lot of spiritual literature—particularly the poetry of Rumi—and trying to synthesize some of the ideas into something that works for me.

Since I began my focus on my personal spirituality this year, and particularly since I started regularly attending the Unitarian Church of Edmonton, I’ve been reading a lot of these sorts of books. Of particular note are the following:

A Year with Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks;

Ethical Ambition, by Derrick Bell; and

Becoming Human, by Jean Vanier.

In some ways, these books are my personal religious texts. I have found more spiritual value in them than in the Bible (which, admittedly, I have never read in it’s entirety).

I do plan to someday read the entire Bible, as well as other religious texts such as the Koran and the Sutras of Buddhism.

But, at least at this point in my personal and spiritual development, I have gained more from the works of non-dogmatic spiritual thinkers (who, often, are not explicitly writing about spirituality) than I have from traditional religious texts.

It is these books that are my personal religious texts.

What would you consider to be your religious texts? Do you find value in tradiational sources, such as the Bible or the Koran, or do you get your spiritual inspiration from other sources, such as poetry or music? Let me know in the comments section.

Exploring the Spirit is a blog focusing on the exploration of spiritual themes and events. It is not a blog about Christianity, despite what you may have assumed from the name. It is about spirituality in general, particularly the spirituality of the author, Adam Snider. Exploring the Spirit is not ... Continue reading →